Cultural and social aspects of squash
The relatively small court and low-bouncing ball makes scoring points harder than in its American cousin racquetball, as the ball may be played to all four corners of the court. Since every ball must strike the front wall above the tin (unlike racquetball), the ball cannot be easily killed. As a result, rallies tend to be longer than in racquetball.
Squash provides an excellent cardio-vascular workout. In one hour of squash, a player may expend aproximately 700 to 1000 calories (3,000 to 4,000 kJ) which is significantly more than most other sports [1] and over 70% more than either general tennis or racquetball.[2] The sport also provides a good upper and lower body workout by utilising both the legs to run around the court and the arms/torso to swing the racquet.
There are several variations of squash played across the world. In the U.S. 'hardball' singles and doubles are played with a much harder ball and different size courts (as noted above). Whilst 'hardball' singles has lost much of its popularity in North America (in favor of the 'International' version), the hardball doubles game is still active. There is also a doubles version of squash played with the standard ball, sometimes on a wider court, and a more tennis-like variation known as squash tennis.
Squash games are most competitive and enjoyable when played between players of similar skill levels. However there is no international standard method for evaluating the players' skill levels. This creates a rather interesting phenomenon within the squash community: many squash players are constantly on the look-out for potential partners who are compatible physically, mentally, and technically.
Squash now has a universal appeal, as there are courts in 148 countries in the world from Argentina to Zambia.
Three novel programs in Boston and New York City, SquashBusters, CitySquash and StreetSquash, which may become models for similar programs in other cities, use squash as an academic and development catalyst after school and during the summer.
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